Water Pollution In Pakistan: Understanding The Main Causes

Water pollution is a critical issue in Pakistan, threatening public health and the environment. The country faces a water shortage crisis, with a rapid decrease in per capita water availability. This scarcity, coupled with increasing pollution, has severe implications for the population, agriculture, and industry. The primary sources of water pollution in Pakistan include sewage discharge, industrial wastewater, agricultural runoff, and the improper disposal of toxic chemicals, pesticides, and fertilizers. The contamination of drinking water sources with microbial and chemical pollutants has led to waterborne diseases, constituting a significant proportion of overall illnesses and deaths in the country. The lack of effective water treatment and monitoring exacerbates the problem, with water quality failing to meet WHO standards in many instances.

Poor wastewater discharge quality

Sources of Wastewater Discharge

• Municipal Sewage: The disposal of untreated municipal sewage into water bodies is a major concern. This includes the intermixing of sewer lines with drinking water supply lines, leading to microbial contamination.
• Industrial Wastewater: Industrial activities, such as car washing centers, tannery operations, and pharmaceutical manufacturing, contribute to wastewater discharge. These industries often release untreated effluents containing toxic chemicals, pollutants, and heavy metals that contaminate water sources.
• Agricultural Practices: Agricultural activities, including the excessive use of pesticides, fertilizers, herbicides, and improper garbage disposal, play a significant role in poor wastewater discharge quality. These chemicals eventually find their way into water bodies, contaminating both surface and groundwater.

Health and Environmental Impact

• Waterborne Diseases: The consumption of contaminated water has severe health consequences for the Pakistani population. Waterborne diseases, such as typhoid, diarrhoea, dysentery, hepatitis, and intestinal worms, are prevalent and contribute to a significant number of deaths, especially in children.
• Ecosystem and Biodiversity: Poor wastewater discharge quality also impacts Pakistan's ecosystems and biodiversity. The pollution of water sources disrupts aquatic life and can lead to the displacement of certain species, further affecting the delicate balance of nature.

Water Scarcity and Inequality

• Limited Access to Clean Water: Due to water pollution and poor wastewater discharge quality, only about 20% of Pakistan's population has access to safe drinking water. This scarcity of clean water sources forces the remaining 80% to rely on unsafe drinking water, exacerbating health risks.
• Regional Disparities: While certain regions, such as the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, have access to cleaner surface and groundwater sources, other areas, particularly rural regions, face more significant challenges. In rural Sindh, for example, women have to walk miles to collect drinking water from sources like canals and wells, which often do not meet WHO standards for drinking water quality.

Legal and Policy Responses

• Lack of Effective Policies: Pakistan has struggled with the implementation of sound national water policies. The absence of coordination between key agencies, such as EPAs and P&DDs, contributes to the inadequate execution of environmental assessment processes.
• Legal Consequences: There have been instances of legal repercussions for non-compliance with environmental regulations. In the case of DG EPA vs Sheikh Yousaf, the respondent was fined for releasing untreated effluent wastewater from a tannery, causing pollution. However, more stringent enforcement and monitoring of environmental protection laws are necessary.

Industrial effluents

Water pollution is a critical issue in Pakistan, threatening public health and the environment. The country's water resources are already under immense stress, with Pakistan ranked as a "water-stressed" country, and the quality of its limited water sources is rapidly deteriorating due to various factors.

The lack of proper wastewater treatment facilities and safe disposal systems in industries is a major concern. For instance, in the case of DG EPA vs Sheikh Yousaf, a tannery was fined for releasing untreated effluent wastewater, causing pollution. The respondent admitted to having no system in place for safe wastewater disposal.

The Pakistan National Conservation Strategy has reported that water-related diseases constitute 40% of communicable diseases in the country. Waterborne diseases such as typhoid, giardiasis, intestinal worms, diarrhea, cryptosporidium infections, and gastroenteritis are prevalent, with infant deaths caused by water-related diarrhea being the highest in Asia.

The contamination of water by industrial effluents is a direct result of inadequate environmental protection laws and their ineffective implementation. The Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), first implemented in Pakistan in 1983, has been described as inefficient, with authorities failing to fulfill their responsibilities. Additionally, the existing environmental pollution laws do not provide a framework for successful public awareness campaigns to educate the masses about the causes and impacts of water pollution.

The impact of industrial effluents on water quality is further exacerbated by the lack of coordination between key agencies responsible for environmental protection and management, such as the EPAs and P&DDs. This leads to an inadequate execution of the environmental assessment process at both the national and provincial levels.

To address the issue of water pollution caused by industrial effluents, Pakistan needs to prioritize the following:

• Strict enforcement and implementation of environmental protection laws, ensuring industries comply with safe wastewater disposal practices.
• Improvement in the coordination between key agencies to strengthen the environmental assessment process.
• Development and implementation of successful public awareness campaigns to educate the public about the causes and consequences of water pollution.
• Investment in wastewater treatment technologies and infrastructure to treat industrial effluents before discharge, ensuring the removal of harmful contaminants.

Agricultural practices

Agriculture is a major contributor to water pollution in Pakistan. The country's agricultural sector is a significant consumer of water, accounting for 98% of available water usage. The heavy utilization of water for agricultural purposes, along with inefficient water management practices, leads to water scarcity and pollution issues.

The Pakistan Council of Research in Water Resources (PCRWR) conducted a study that tested water samples from agricultural runoff. They found that one-fifth of the samples contained traces of residue from fertilizers and pesticides, indicating that these chemicals are not properly managed and are finding their way into water sources. The use of pesticides and fertilizers in agriculture is a significant concern, as they contain toxic chemicals that can contaminate water and pose risks to human health and the environment.

In addition to chemical pollution, agricultural practices can also contribute to microbial contamination. Microbial pollution, caused by the intermixing of sewer lines with drinking water supply lines, is a serious issue in both rural and urban areas of Pakistan. The lack of proper filtration and disinfection systems in rural areas exacerbates the problem. Furthermore, the high demand for water in agriculture puts pressure on water resources, leading to water scarcity and inadequate water treatment and management.

The impact of agricultural practices on water pollution in Pakistan is evident, and it is crucial to address these issues to ensure the availability of clean and safe drinking water for the population. Implementing sustainable agricultural practices, improving water management, and enforcing regulations to reduce the use of harmful chemicals are essential steps towards mitigating water pollution and ensuring water security for the country.

Natural factors

Monsoon rains and resultant floods throughout Pakistan are a significant natural source of water contamination. Floods destroy sanitation and sewage systems in urban areas and water reservoirs in rural areas, contaminating water sources. In addition, natural disasters such as earthquakes, landslides, and floods contaminate the subsurface as most drinking water in Pakistan depends on the natural groundwater purification system. For example, the 2005 earthquake in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Azad Kashmir damaged around 3,880 water supply systems, disrupting water supply to thousands of households.

The increase in temperature in Pakistan is another natural factor that affects water quality, bringing heat to the threshold of drinkability. In addition, the water precipitation rate in Pakistan is lower than the evaporation rate, causing a continuous decrease in water quantity in its rivers and lakes and diminishing groundwater. This decrease in water quantity, coupled with increasing demand, has resulted in severe water shortages in almost all sectors of the country.

Furthermore, weathering of rocks and sediments contaminates water sources with toxic metals and chemicals. Natural factors such as these contribute to Pakistan's water pollution crisis, which poses a significant threat to public health.

Lack of water disinfection

Water pollution in Pakistan is a severe issue, with approximately 80% of the population lacking access to safe drinking water. This is due to a multitude of factors, one of which is the lack of water disinfection.

Water disinfection is the process of eliminating harmful microorganisms from water sources to make it safe for human consumption. In Pakistan, the absence of proper disinfection techniques has led to the proliferation of waterborne diseases. The primary source of contamination is sewerage (fecal matter) that is discharged into the drinking water supply. This results in the presence of harmful pathogens, bacteria, and viruses in the water, causing diseases such as typhoid, giardiasis, intestinal worms, diarrhea, and cryptosporidium infections.

The lack of water disinfection is particularly evident in rural areas of Pakistan, where surface water is often used for drinking without adequate treatment. Slow sand filtration and chlorination are not commonly practiced, and pretreatment facilities for water filtration are lacking. This results in the consumption of contaminated water, leading to health issues for the population.

Furthermore, industrial wastewater is often released into water distribution networks without proper treatment, adding to the problem of water pollution. The lack of water quality monitoring at treatment plants exacerbates the issue, as harmful chemicals and pathogens are not adequately removed or neutralized.

The consequences of inadequate water disinfection are dire, with waterborne diseases causing approximately 40% of communicable diseases in Pakistan. Infant deaths due to water-related diarrhea are the highest in Asia, and the country is facing the largest mass poisoning in history due to high arsenic concentrations in drinking water.

To address this critical issue, interventions such as public awareness campaigns, the implementation of safe water control methods, and the adoption of simple disinfection technologies are necessary. Educating the population about the importance of water sanitation and promoting the use of clean water can help prevent waterborne diseases and improve overall health outcomes.

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